1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card holding apparatus into which a card-type memory medium having a terminal on a principal face thereof can be loaded.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, some information devices such as notebook computers are provided with a slot into which a card-type memory medium called “a smart card” can be loaded removably in order to improve security. Physical characteristics and electrical characteristics of smart cards are standardized based on the international standard ISO 7816. Moreover, in the Japanese Industrial Standard, the physical characteristics, the locations and the dimensions of external terminals, and the like of smart cards are defined in “JIS X 6303”. A smart card has a main body in the form of a card having dimensions of, for example, about 95 mm in width, about 54 mm in depth, and about 0.5 to 1.0 mm in thickness and an IC chip (an integrated circuit) built into the main body, and a terminal electrically connected to the IC chip is disposed and exposed on at least one of the principal faces of the smart card. Such IC chips include those having a function of being capable of storing various types of information such as security information and those having a function of being capable of performing arithmetic processing.
Examples of a card holding apparatus into which a smart card as described above can be loaded removably include those of a type that can be built into an information device and of an external type that can be connected to a predetermined communication terminal provided in an information device. To load a smart card into such card holding apparatuses, a structure in which the smart card is inserted into a predetermined opening of the card holding apparatus in a sliding manner and pressed against a connector within the card holding apparatus commonly is used.
When a terminal electrode disposed in the card holding apparatus in an exposed state and the terminal of the IC chip provided in the smart card are brought into electrical contact with each other, the card holding apparatus can read data from the smart card or write data to the smart card.
Since the card holding apparatus has the directly exposed terminal electrode disposed in the opening into or from which the smart card is inserted or removed, it is difficult to adopt a waterproof structure. In other words, since water can enter the card holding apparatus through the opening for insertion of the smart card, waterproof properties cannot be secured.
JP H08-077312A discloses a smart card reader having a waterproof structure. The smart card reader disclosed in JP H08-077312A includes a seal member that is provided so as to surround the outer periphery of a containing portion for containing an entire smart card, after a smart cart is contained in the containing portion. This seal member encloses the smart card and the containing portion by coming into close contact with an outer lid. The configuration disclosed in JP H08-077312A allows the seal member to suppress the entry of water into the containing portion, and thus the card reader can have a waterproof structure.
However, with the configuration disclosed in JP H08-077312A, when loading a smart card into the containing portion, it is necessary to engage an outer peripheral edge portion of the smart card with a seal member. Accordingly, the processes for loading or removing the smart card are cumbersome.